Tuesday, November 29, 2011

"Fire and Gold" oil painting by Niki Gulley

I used to love it as a kid, growing up in the midwest, when my family would go hiking in the woods – especially in fall. The crisp feel in the air, the crunching of leaves underfoot and the beautiful autumn colors, along with spending time with my mom and dad were special times. In Fire and Gold I wanted to recreate those warm memories, choosing reds and yellows of autumn to heighten those happy feelings and using energetic strokes with my paint reminiscent of a carefree, simpler time. Building up thin transparent layers of oil paint also add to a certain glow and magic in the final piece.